Poverty-stricken woman kills kids, self

RAIPUR - A poverty-stricken woman first poisoned her three children and then committed suicide by consuming pesticide at their home in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district. Two of the kids died while the third is battling for life, police said Monday.

Sunita, 32, poisoned her children - Jintu Kumari, 8, Himanshu, 5, and Himesh, 2, - and then herself consumed pesticide late Sunday when her family members, including her husband Shiv Kumar Suryavanshi, were not at home in Nevra village in Bilaspur district, about 225 km from here.

The villagers took Sunita and her children to a local hospital where she, Jintu and Himesh were declared dead while Himanshu was reported critical.

Local police officials who were investigating the case said poverty prompted Sunita to take the extreme step.